Malaria Statistics:

• Malaria is one of the planet’s deadliest diseases and one of the leading causes of sickness and death in the developing world. According to the World Health Organization there are 300 to 500 million clinical cases of malaria each year resulting in 1.5 to 2.7 million deaths.
• Children aged one to four are the most vulnerable to infection and death. Malaria is responsible for as many as half the deaths of African children under the age of five. The disease kills more than one million children – 2,800 perday – each year in Africa alone. In regions of intense transmission, 40% of toddlers may die of acute malaria.
• About 40% of the world’s population – about two billion people – are at risk in about 90 countries and territories. 80 to 90% of malaria deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa where 90% of the infected people live.
• Sub-Saharan Africa is the region with the highest malaria infection rate. Here alone, the disease kills at least one million people each year. Accordingto some estimates, 275 million out of a total of 530 million people have malaria parasites in their blood, although they may not develop symptoms.
• Of the four human malaria strains, Plasmodium falciparum is the most common and deadly form. It is responsible for about 95% of malaria deaths worldwide and has a mortality rate of 1-3%.
• In the early 1960s, only 10% the world’s population was at risk of contracting malaria. This rose to 40% as mosquitoes developed resistance to pesticides and malaria parasites developed resistance to treatment drugs. Malaria is now spreading to areas previously free of the disease.

1. What is Malaria?

Malaria is the most important parasitic disease in the world and has been recognized for thousands of years. Once found almost everywhere around the globe, except in the most northern areas, malaria remains a continuous threat to people in the tropical and subtropical regions, and especially in Africa.

Malaria is an infection of the blood carried from person to person by mosquitoes. It is a very serious and potentially fatal disease that remains the world’s most devastating human infection. Worldwide statistics show an average 300 million to 500 million malaria infections occur every year, with 2-3 million deaths.

There are four main species of Plasmodium that infect humans:

• Plasmodium Falciparum
• Plasmodium vivax
• Plasmodium ovale
• Plasmodium malariae

Depending on the geographic area and the person inflicted, incubation periods, symptoms and recovery periods may differ.

Malaria is prevalent in areas of central and south America, sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Oceania. It is uncommon to find malaria where temperatures are below 16C (61F) or above 36C (97F), or at altitudes higher than 3,000 meters (10,000 feet). Mosquitoes mostly breed in small pools of fresh water exposed to sunlight.

Malaria seasons differ, depending on local weather conditions and the number of mosquitoes in the area. It is therefore advisable to check with a reliable source, such as the WHO website, before traveling.

2. Malaria in Africa

In the time it takes to read these next five paragraphs four children in Africa will have died of malaria.

The United Nations declared 2001- 2010 as the “Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries, Particularly in Africa”. To help meet the Millennium Development Goals, put in place in 2000, the International Community and the African Union are working to reduce two-thirds of infant mortality by 2015.

It is the single biggest killer of children under the age of five, taking 3,000 children every day and more than one million every year.

For the over 160 million people living on the “Dark Continent”, malaria is a devastating problem. The disease kills more than AIDS, even though the latter generates more research and funding. It is also responsible for 90% of work absenteeism in malaria-stricken zones.

The three biggest obstacles to eradicating malaria on the continent are:

• Difficulty in access to effective treatments at affordable prices
• Lack of vaccinations or oral treatments
• Poor preventative methods

In Africa’s rural parts, villagers have limited access to primary health care. Restricted access to simple and effective prevention measures, like insecticide treated mosquito nets, means these poorer communities are less informed on basic malaria facts.

3. Malaria Causes

Malaria is caused by one of four species of one-celled parasites, called Plasmodium. The parasite is transmitted by the female mosquito, Aanopheles, which feeds on human blood.

The mosquito bite passes the malaria sporozoite directly into the blood. It then travels into the liver where the parasite invades the hepatocyte (liver cells) and reproduce thousands of times. Six to nine days later the infection begins. The parasite leaves the liver and travels into the bloodstream. The parasite enters the red blood cells and begins the first of several phases of development. In the first “ring stage” the parasite begins to metabolize hemoglobin. Then, in the “trophozoite stage”, the parasite metabolizes most of the hemoglobin, increases in size and prepares again to reproduce. At the final stage, the parasite divides asexually to form a multinucleated schizont. The red blood cell bursts open and the parasites are dispersed to continue infecting more RBC.

Only malaria caused by Plasmodium Falciparum is potentially life threatening. If the same mosquito bites another person, they too are at risk of being infected with malaria.

Malaria is most commonly acquired through mosquito bites, but it is also possible to acquire the disease through other sources such as:

• Blood transfusion or organ transplant
• Sharing needles
• At birth, if the mother is already infected

4. Effects of Malaria

Malaria symptoms vary depending on the strain of disease. From the time of the mosquito bite to the start of the illness it may take between one to three weeks. Some types of malaria take much longer. Initial effects may range from sever to moderate fever, chills (rigors), sweating, headache, diarrhea, overall muscle and body fatigue, weakness, abdominal pain and nausea. Once sick with malaria it is not uncommon to get a chest infection like bronchitis.

The four main Plasmodium species may exhibit the following:

• Falciparum: severe hemolytic anemia (red blood cells break down), kidney failure, coma, and death.
• Ovale: this species also causes anemia, though the infection is rarely life threatening.
• Vivax: possible development of anemia and rupture of the spleen, which may be life threatening. Relapse cases are not usual for people infected with vivax and ovale malaria.
• Malariae: rarely life threatening though if left untreated it may result in kidney failure and can last throughout your life.

It is possible to develop an immunity to malaria, and to be infected for many years without displaying any symptoms.

5. Treatments for Malaria

There are no vaccinations against malaria. In much of the world, malaria is treated at home with prescribed pills and lots of fluids. For severe cases, hospitalization and IV drug therapy is often used.

Anti-malarial drugs flood the market. Over the years, many medications like: Mefloquine (Larium), Fansidar, Malarone, Halofantrine and Quinine Sulphate have been prescribed. When the doctor is unsure of the specific malaria-type the patient may be given a Quinine IV (formula Q). However, it must be noted that all drugs pose various side effects. There are no studies to indicate long-term effects from taking malaria prevention pills.

A serious concern is the development of drug resistance malaria parasites. Increasingly, there are chloroquine-resistant strains appearing in parts of Africa, Asia and the Americas. For example, the Falciparum virus is now drug resistant to chloroquine, and halofantrine is no longer recommended by the WHO.

Also of growing concern, in many developing countries, is the resurgence in the most deadly form of malaria, Plasmodium Falciparum. Factors contributing to this phenomenon include, urban migration, poverty and poor sanitation. As urban development increases, people are being drawn into once-isolated areas where mosquitoes thrive. The increase in travel between countries also enables refugees, migrants and tourists to unknowingly spread the disease.

Malaria prevention is the best treatment for tourists and short and long-term residents. Though not full proof, taking the necessary precautions will reduce the likelihood of getting bitten.

6. Effective Malaria Treatment

LOVE Silver Sol will effectively destroy parasites associated with all types of malaria and will be eliminated from the blood stream within five days.